Getting Ready For Consulate Visa Interview

Rich

- 3 minutes read - 443 words

The Visa Interview

Sometimes you have to make an appointment and wait a very long time… or so I have been told. This was definitely not the case for me. Perhaps good lawyers in Portugal working for you is the key?

If you do not come prepared for the interview, you will be forced to start the process over again. This is not mental preparation, rather it is having all your required materials, documents and forms. I will try to go through this and list out all that I had, what I brought with me, what I was not able to bring with me, etc.

The process is dynamic and changes regularly. For me, I am documenting my experience in mid to late 2025. As I write this, the Portugese government is working on changing the residency requirement. It was five years, they wanted to make it ten and if I am not mistaken I believe they are working on a seven year plan? (or that may just be for portuguese speaking countries… as I said.. dynamic.. I will write this up some time soon… but for now (https://goldenvisanews.com/portugal-citizenship-law-2025-major-changes-announced-as-residency-timeline-doubles/)

The Timeline - do what when

  • Gather your basic documents and information

The List - what do you need to bring with you

  • Your Visa application

Requirements - things that are good to know

The Process

Fees

  • NYC VSF Consulate fee is $44 payable by credit card

  • Visa Fee (as of 2025-Oct-01) is $128.03

    • payable by cashiers check or money order
    • make payable to the Consulate General of Portugal

Blah

Getting here involved:

  • Visa: [What visa did you get? How was the process?]
  • Housing: [Did you find an apartment before arriving? Airbnb first?]
  • Shipping belongings: [What did you bring? What did you leave behind?]

First Impressions

The Good

[What’s been better than expected?

  • The food?
  • The people?
  • The pace of life?
  • Specific neighborhoods you love?]

The Challenging

[Be honest - what’s been difficult?

  • Language barrier?
  • Bureaucracy (NIF, bank account, etc.)?
  • Missing things from home?
  • Cultural adjustments?]

The Surprising

[What caught you off guard?

  • Differences you didn’t expect?
  • Things that are similar to NYC?
  • Cultural quirks?]

Daily Life

My Neighborhood

[Where are you living? What’s it like?

  • Describe your bairro (neighborhood)
  • Favorite local spots
  • Morning routines]

Food & Coffee

[Your food experiences so far:

  • Favorite dishes discovered
  • Best pastéis de nata spot
  • Your go-to café
  • Grocery shopping differences]

Getting Around

[Transportation:

  • Metro system vs NYC subway?
  • Walking everywhere?
  • Trams?]

What’s Next

[Looking ahead:

  • What are you excited to explore?
  • Goals for the next month?
  • Places you want to visit?
  • Skills you want to learn (Portuguese?)]

Have questions about moving to Portugal? Drop a comment below!